Exploring Approach 1: My choice, my right
Simon
Public
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According to people who support Approach 1, mothers/parents should be able to make their own decisions about reproduction.
Please focus you posts on the questions:
What could be some of the intended and unintended costs & consequences of doing what this approach suggests?
What are the tensions or conflicts we would have to work through for this Approach to be successfully implemented?
Also feel free to note additional things that a supporter might value in your posts.
In addition to responding to the focus questions, where possible give reasons for what you say and also please respond to / query / build on other people’s posts.
We’ll work on exploring approach 1 until 9.30am, Wednesday 20th. After that, each subgroup will explore a different approach and, on Friday, will start our search for common ground on what policy actions we might recommend as a group.
Jenna Robson Tue 19 Nov 2019 6:44AM
Hi everyone, I’m not sure I can see all your posts (only have access to an iPad) - unless only Simon, John and Sylviana have posted?
Nonetheless, I shall respond to the two questions below :)
Simon Tue 19 Nov 2019 7:55AM
Hi Jenna, I'm not sure what this forum looks like on an iPad - I'll check tomorrow - but I can say that just about everyone in the group has posted so it sounds like you are missing quite a bit. A lot of the posts are actually 'replies'. Can you expand any of the posts to see replies?
Jenna Robson Tue 19 Nov 2019 8:14AM
Darn, my first posts will be a bit out of sinc :). I can’t expand anything, all I see I say grey boxes that do nothing. I couldn’t find an app to download either. I am on holiday, so no access to a PC for the next 10 days.
Daniel Brunt Tue 19 Nov 2019 7:25AM
I know that in my intro I said I had no real connection with this topic but my wife reminded me that I did (maybe she should be on the course). Anyway, option one is actually my preference as a policy position. Not that I'm an advocate against the government telling us what we can or cant do to our bodies because to some degree it already does, but I'm In the camp where people should have the option to choose in this situation. So, a family member of mine has a condition that is usually genetic. This seriously affected my me and my wife's decision to have more children. Our family member was tested and it turns out it was a spontaneous event and not genetic. Unfortunately, by the time the results came through we were probably getting a bit old for children. My point being that the testing for us was a significant factor in having more children. I guess where this gets confused though is not really the testing but the "what next". For us we didnt have more children, had we been pregnant at the time and the results been different, what would we have done? I dont really know to be honest. I think testing is harmless, its the next step where the controversy comes into play. My biggest consideration from a policy perspective is how do make the testing available for all. The actions following such a test is an argument for another forum.
Obviously having information can lead to further actions. I guess we have to think about whether or not the public are mature enough to have this information (and who decides that) and then how do you (or should you) regulate the resulting actions.
Simon Wed 20 Nov 2019 8:54AM
Summary of costs & consequences of Approach 1
Here's a quick summary. Please let me known what needs to the added, deleted, modified if I've missed something or got anything wrong.
Promotes people's freedom of choice regarding their future
Enables parents and families (and wider community) plan prepare for the arrival of a child with disabilities
Decisions to abort may be based on societal biases about gender. This has been the case in China but may not be such an issue in NZ
Unequal access to testing services if user pays and with negative consequences for poorer communities
Mothers making poor decisions without proper advice from medical and other experts that may affect their health and well-being
Demand for tests that are not provided in NZ (perhaps to keep costs under control)
Increase demand for testing as more women are having babies when they are older
Public controversy if restriction on creating saviour siblings, etc are lifted
Some decisions will be based on false test results
Simon Wed 20 Nov 2019 8:56AM
Summary of tensions and conflicts for Approach 1
Here's a quick summary. Please let me known what needs to the added, deleted, modified if I've missed something or got anything wrong.
Producing the right information for a very diverse society
Delivering the right information in a way that works for the people that need it
Adequate funding to ensure the right information is produced and delivered in the right way
Adequate support to enable families who do want to keep a disabled child to cope
Ways to ensure equity of access
Criteria for abortions
Definition of when human life begins
Whether to test if there is no treatment
Simon · Mon 18 Nov 2019 11:38PM
Bravo @Sylviani Leku for starting the discussions in your subgroup. You make some excellent points about the timing of testing, access to testing and testing allowing mothers/parent to better prepare for and support their baby. I'm sure others will pick up on these and identify other consequences and tensions.
A point of clarification. You rightly note that tests can be conducted before pregnancy (IVF with pre-implantation diagnosis) and after a pregnancy has started (e.g. pregnancy test, blood test, ultrasound, etc) and that before pregnancy testing is different in that the test results will not lead to a decision about abortion - although some people believe that not implanting human embryos is murder too. However, women in NZ who have before pregnancy testing will also likely have after pregnancy testing of some sort too and the result of these tests could reveal problems that could make mothers/parents consider abortion. This is why this deliberation is about both before- and after- pregnancy testing.